[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 17, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1836-E1837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF THE RIGHT TO KNOW SCHOOL NUTRITION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2003

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about an issue that has 
the potential to affect the lives of 27 million of our children across 
the nation, who are participants in the National School Lunch Program 
or the National School Breakfast Program.
  The issue is the inclusion of irradiated food in federally-funded 
programs that are designed to help our disadvantaged children. Last 
year's Farm Bill opened the door for school districts to purchase 
irradiated food for use in our school feeding programs.
  There are many questions that remain about the scientific validity of 
serving irradiated products to our growing kids, particularly in 
regards to nutritious content and the long term-effects of regular 
consumption of irradiated food.
  In anticipation of issuing regulations on serving irradiated food, 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened a comment period for the 
public to express its opinion on irradiated food. An overwhelming 
number of the comments received by USDA opposed serving irradiated food 
in the national school lunch program, over 90% in fact.
  Four school boards in California have already moved to ban irradiated 
food products in their schools, including the city of Berkeley in my 
district, Point Arena, Ukiah, and Los Angeles Unified. And based on a 
recent survey conducted by the public interest group Public Citizen, 
many more school districts and states have indicated that they will not 
purchase or serve irradiated food during this school year.
  But for those school districts and states that may decide to serve 
irradiated food, under current regulations, there is no requirement for 
irradiated food to be clearly labeled at lunch areas where it is 
served. In addition, parents and children who rely on our school 
nutrition programs are not given the option to refuse irradiated 
products, and they will have no choice but to eat whatever type of food 
is served that day.
  I am seeking to correct this current deficiency in law by introducing 
the Right to Know School Nutrition Act. My bill would require the USDA 
to ensure that: Balanced information on irradiation is given to parents 
and children before such products are served; that a standard option of 
non-irradiated food products be

[[Page E1837]]

served at every meal; that irradiated food be properly labeled and 
appropriate signage be displayed in the lunch room; and finally, that 
irradiated and non-irradiated food products are not commingled.
  The Right to Know School Nutrition Act represents a simple 
commonsense solution that empowers individual parents and children to 
decide for themselves what they will eat. I encourage my colleagues to 
join me in support of this bill in order to protect our children from 
the potential dangers of irradiated food products and to preserve 
consumer choice.

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